Dr Alessandro Giardini: paediatric cardiologist in Central London
Dr Alessandro Giardini

Dr Alessandro Giardini
Paediatric cardiology
Central London


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Dr Alessandro Giardini Paediatric cardiologist in
London

MD PhD

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Dr Alessandro Giardini areas of expertise:

Professional statement

Dr Alessandro Giardini is a top cardiologist based at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London, specialising in paediatric cardiology. An expert on congenital heart disease, Dr Giardini is Director of Inpatient Services at GOSH, and also provides outpatient consultations for all manner of heart problems in children, including palpitations, heart murmurs, chest pain, and heart valve issues.

Graduating from the University of Bologna in his native Italy, Dr Giardini went on to undergo extensive training in paediatric cardiology both in Bologna and in San Francisco, USA. He is actively involved in research, having published over 120 articles in peer-reviewed journals. His unit at GOSH is a world leader in cardiac care. His philosophy is a patient-centric approach, delivering treatment with compassion and understanding, and personalising his consultations and treatment to each child and their family.

 Credentials

GMC: 6165846

 Professional experience

• More than 20 years of experience
• Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Great Ormond Steet Hospital (2007 - present)
• Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Harley Street Clinic (present)
• Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, The Portland Hospital (present)
• Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Chase Farm Hospital (present)
• Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, The Cromwell Hospital (present)
• Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, University of Bologna (2004 - 2007)

 ...

 Sub-specialties

• Chest pain 
• Heart murmur 
• Palpitations
• Syncope
• Echocardiogram
• Paediatric cardiology
• Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

 ...

 Education

• Research Fellow (Paediatric Cardiology), University of California, San Francisco (2004 – 2004)
• Specialist Training in Cardiology, Università di Bologna (1999 – 2004)
• MD, Universita degli Studi di Bologna (1992 - 1999)

 ...

 Publications and conferences

• Contribution of rare inherited and de novo variants in 2,871 congenital heart disease probands. Jin SC, Homsy J, Zaidi S, Lu Q, Morton S, DePalma SR, Zeng X, Qi H, Chang W, Sierant MC, Hung WC, Haider S, Zhang J, Knight J, Bjornson RD, Castaldi C, Tikhonoa IR, Bilguvar K, Mane SM, Sanders SJ, Mital S, Russell MW, Gaynor JW, Giardini A, Porter GA Jr, Srivastava D, Lo CW, Shen Y, Watkins WS, Yandell M, Yost H, Tristani-Firouzi M, Newburger JW, Roberts AE, Kim R, Zhao H, Kaltman JR, Goldmuntz E, Chung WK, Seidman JG, Gelb BD, Seidman CE, Lifton RP, Brueckner M.
• Contribution of rare inherited and de novo variants in 2,871 congenital heart disease probands. Nat Genet. 2017 Nov;49(11):1593-1601.
• De novo mutations in congenital heart disease with neurodevelopmental and other congenital anomalies. Science. 2015 Dec 4;350(6265):1262-6.
• Feasibility and safety of cardiopulmonary exercise testing in children with pulmonary hypertension. Cardiol Young. 2016 Aug;26(6):1144-50.
• Peak oxygen uptake, ventilatory efficiency and QRS-duration predict event free survival in patients late after surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot. Int J Cardiol. 2015 Oct 1;196:158-64.
• Cone reconstruction for Ebstein's anomaly: Patient outcomes, biventricular function, and cardiopulmonary exercise capacity. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2015 Apr;149(4):1144-50.
• Does TCPC power loss really affect exercise capacity? Heart. 2015 Apr;101(7):575.
• Computational modeling of pathophysiologic responses to exercise in Fontan patients. Ann Biomed Eng. 2015 Jun;43(6):1335-47.
• Ventriculovascular interactions late after atrial and arterial repair of transposition of the great arteries. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2014 Dec;148(6):2627-33.
• Asymptomatic adults with mild/moderate isolated native pulmonary valve stenosis are in need of treatment… but not the kind you are thinking of! Heart. 2014 Sep;100(17):1313-4.
• Computational models of aortic coarctation in hypoplastic left heart syndrome: considerations on validation of a detailed 3D model. Int J Artif Organs. 2014 May;37(5):371-81.

 ...

Languages spoken

  • English
  • Italian

Patient reviews for Dr. Alessandro Giardini

Would you recommend this doctor?

  • Bedside manner
  • Friendliness of the staff
  • Wait time
  • Facilities conditions

All reviews are from verified patients booked through Top Doctors.

Patient reviews

Verified Patient
13/06/2018

Would you recommend this doctor?

  • Bedside manner
  • Friendliness of the staff
  • Wait time
  • Facilities conditions

Patients comments

Very professional, kind with the children, experienced in his field. i would definitely recommend him.

Verified Patient
04/06/2018

Would you recommend this doctor?

  • Bedside manner
  • Friendliness of the staff
  • Wait time
  • Facilities conditions

Patients comments

Calming, reassuring and empathetic dr giardini sought to understand out journey and was able to provide us with the answers we needed.

Reply to patient's comment
Thank you for your kind comments.

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Diseases, Medical Tests and Treatments

Chest pain

Chest pain can have various causes from a heart attack, to muscular pain or it could be caused by a panic attack.

Congenital heart disease

Congenital heart defects are abnormalities of the heart or great vessels that occur before birth. Medical advances have helped the treatment of these ...

Echocardiogram

An echocardiogram is a diagnostic test based on the use of ultrasonic techniques in the chest area. The ultrasound reaches several structures of the h ...

Heart murmur

Heart murmurs are sounds similar to the sound of the air of a torch. Heart murmurs are usually pathological, although in young children may be normal. ...

Palpitations

Palpitations are heartbeats of sudden onset, usually rapid and uncomfortable. Normally the cardiac variations are only perceived in a situation of stress, strong emotion or after performing a major physical exercise. But heart palpitations can occur in certain pathological states in which the heart rate increases in intensity and frequency, as in the case of tachycardia, which may be a symptom of cardiac or non-cardiac disease, such as serious anaemia, increased thyroid function, liver disease, or other conditions. Palpitations may also appear after the ingestion of alcohol, tea, coffee and other stimulants. ...

Syncope

What is syncope? Syncope, also known as fainting, is the sudden loss of consciousness for a brief period. This is usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the brain, and is often associated with low blood pressure (hypotension). What are the symptoms of syncope? Before fainting, you may feel weakness or nausea. The following are also warning signs experienced just before fainting: Feeling clammy and sweaty Confusion Light-headedness Blurred vision Yawning Ringing in your ears After fainting, you normally regain consciousness within 20 seconds, and you may feel weak for a short period afterwards. You may also not remember what you were doing just before you fainted. What causes syncope? Fainting (syncope) is caused by a reduction in blood flow to the brain. This can be disrupted by several factors: Triggers (e.g. heat, pain, sitting or standing up suddenly, an unpleasant sight or even swallowing) Heart problems Reflex anoxic seizures (common in children) Low blood pressure (hypotension) Low blood sugar levels Medications Dehydration Can syncope be prevented? There is no specific treatment that prevents the onset of syncope, but if a person is prone to fainting, you can either avoid known triggers, or if you feel an episode coming on, lie down and lift your legs or sit down and put your head between your knees. This keeps blood flowing to your brain. What is the treatment for syncope? Treatment depends on the cause of the syncope. If there is an underlying health condition, then tests will need to confirm this and treated accordingly. The tests that the doctor can order can include: Blood tests Heart rate monitoring Echocardiography Electrocardiography Chest x-ray Often, after fainting, no further treatment is needed, but measures to avoid future episodes can be taken, such as avoiding triggers. ...

Aortopathy

Aortopathy describes a disease of the aorta (the largest artery in the body, which carries blood from the heart).

Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. The heartbeat in a resting adult is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. When it increases significantly it is considered sinus tachycardia, when a  heartbeat slows down, it is sinus bradycardia. In tachycardia, the heart experiences a substantial acceleration due to tremendous physical effort. When alterations occur in the number of beats but not in frequency, it is considered cardiac arrhythmia. ...

ASD (Atrial septal defect)

Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a congenital heart defect where the septum that divides the atria (upper chambers) of the heart is defective or missing. This allows some of the blood returning to the heart without oxygen to bypass the lungs, meaning it doesn’t collect fresh oxygen before being pumped back around the body. This means that the brain and other organs receive less oxygen than normal. In the case of a large ASD, the bigger danger is large “shunts” of blood from one atrium to the other (particularly left to right), as the different pressure levels can damage the heart. ...

Chest pain in children

In children and teenagers, chest pain may be brought on by a number of things, including infection or injury to the chest wall (ribs, sternum and other bones, muscles and joints in the chest area), colds, acid reflux (heartburn), stress or anxiety, and asthma. In rare cases, it may be caused by a heart condition, though this is unusual. ...

Fainting in children

Fainting (also known as syncope, or passing out) is a temporary loss of consciousness, which may cause a person to collapse to the ground. It is usually caused by a sudden drop of blood flow to the brain. In children, this may be caused by a number of things, such as orthostatic hypotension (brought on by standing still too long or changing position), myocarditis, heart defects, head injuries, inner ear problems, low blood sugar and dehydration. The most common type of syncope, called vasovagal syncope, is caused when the vagus nerve is stimulated (perhaps by pain or stress), leading to the heart slowing and blood vessels dilating, which means that less blood reaches the brain. ...

Heart murmur in children

A heart murmur is an extra noise made by the heart, heard with a stethoscope. The noise may be completely natural and not indicative of any underlying problem (innocent murmur), but sometimes a murmur may be due to a problem with the heart, such as narrow or leaking heart valves or holes in the heart (pathological heart murmurs). ...

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease caused by the inability of relaxation of the heart, altering pumping blood into the bloodstream. The cause of this disease is hypertrophy (enlargement) of the walls of the ventricles. In general, patients show dyspnea (breathlessness) in response to heart failure but in many cases may be asymptomatic, and is considered one of the most common causes of sudden death in young people. ...

Kawasaki disease

What is Kawasaki disease? Kawasaki disease is a rare childhood condition mainly affecting children under the age of five. It causes inflammation in the walls of the blood vessels, which leads to a number of symptoms, including a rash, swelling, fever, and swelling and inflammation of the mouth and tongue (which is dubbed a “strawberry tongue” due to the red, swollen appearance). Kawasaki disease affects around 8 in 100,000 children in the UK and is more prevalent in boys than girls.   Prognosis of Kawasaki disease Most children recover within six to eight weeks if the Kawasaki disease is diagnosed and treated properly. The sooner the treatment begins, the quicker the recovery and the lower the chance of complications. Complications can arise if Kawasaki disease affects the coronary arteries (the blood vessels supplying blood to the heart). Inflammation occurring here can cause an aneurysm, which can lead to blood clots, and in turn, heart disease or even heart attacks. Complications like these can be fatal, but this is rare. However, children who experience heart-related complications of Kawasaki disease may be left with permanent heart damage or left at a higher risk of developing heart conditions later in life.   Symptoms of Kawasaki disease The first symptom of Kawasaki disease is usually a fever that does not respond to the usual remedies. Further typical symptoms include: Rash Dry or cracked lips Swollen glands in the neck Red eyes Redness and/or swelling in the fingers or toes Inflammation inside the mouth, including “strawberry tongue” – the tongue becomes very red and swollen and may have small lumps. During the second phase of the disease, there may be skin peeling and a number of other symptoms, such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, fatigue, joint pain, and headache. Symptoms begin to improve and disappear in the third stage, although the child may still get tired easily until fully recovered.   Medical tests to diagnose Kawasaki disease A diagnosis of Kawasaki disease is usually based on the presence of at least four key symptoms (rash, swollen lymph nodes, changes (e.g. swelling) to the mouth or throat, changes to the hands or feet, and conjunctival infection in both eyes), coupled with a fever lasting longer than five days. There is no one test to diagnose the condition, but several tests may be performed to rule out other conditions like scarlet fever, measles, glandular fever, and lupus.   What are the causes of Kawasaki disease? Kawasaki disease cannot be prevented. It is unclear exactly what causes it, but there are several theories: Infection, i.e. caused by bacteria or a virus – the symptoms are similar to other infections, yet it isn’t contagious, making a viral cause acting alone unlikely. Genetics – Kawasaki is more common in certain populations, e.g. Japan and Korea, which may mean certain genes are predisposed to the condition. Autoimmune – the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells. Environmental – reaction to a pollutant, toxin, chemical, or medication. A combination of the above.   Treatments for Kawasaki disease Kawasaki disease is usually treated in hospital due to the age of the patients and the severity of the possible complications. Treatment involves two key components: Intravenous immunoglobulin – a solution of donated antibodies injected directly into a vein helps the body’s immune system. Aspirin – you should never give a child aspirin unless prescribed by a doctor. Kawasaki disease is one of the rare occasions when this might happen – aspirin helps reduce inflammation, swelling, fever, and pain, while also acting as an antiplatelet (it helps prevent blood clots).   Which type of specialist treats Kawasaki disease? Paediatricians and paediatric cardiologists treat Kawasaki disease. ...

Marfan syndrome

Marfan syndrome is a clinical pathology of genetic cause characterized by a disorder in connective tissue growth, mainly affecting the skeletal system, eyes, skin and the cardiovascular system. This disorder can also affect the lungs, the eyes and especially the heart, where it can cause aortic stretching or weakening, which is known as aneurysm or aortic dilatation. The physical appearance of people suffering from this syndrome is very characteristic: they tend to be very tall, with disproportionate hands and feet; great flexibility; deviation of the spine (scoliosis); may have sunken or very prominent thorax; and the face is narrow and thin, often with a small jaw. ...

Patent foramen ovale

The permeable foramen ovule is a congenital heart disease that is found in 25% of the adult population. The foramen ovule is a natural opening that allows the passage of oxygenated blood from the right atrium to the left during foetal life. This allows oxygen and nutrients from the mother to reach the brain and foetal organs. At the time of birth it gradually closes. However, in some people, such closure does not occur, which is known as patent foramen ovule. If there are no symptoms, treatment is usually not necessary. However, if a stroke has occurred, a new episode can be prevented with anticoagulant medication or closure of the foramen, which can be done with a device that is inserted into the heart through the veins, usually the femoral vein (percutaneous closure), or by surgery. ...

Sports cardiology

Sports cardiology is the set of tests that are performed to diagnose the diseases of the heart muscle that may pose a threat to the patient when practising any sport. Through a series of exercises, this analysis shows the tolerance and adaptation of the heart after intense physical activity. ...

Supraventricular tachycardia

Supraventricular tachycardia is a heart rhythm disorder. It is characterized by an accelerated heart rate, which occurs in the atrioventricular node. ...

Tilt table

The tilt table test is used to find the cause for spells of fainting. To perform the test, the patient must be attached by the arms and feet on a special reclining table, and an intravenous catheter will be inserted into one arm while blood pressure is monitored through the other. In addition, to analyse the heart rate, a set of electrodes connected to an electrocardiograph obtains constant electrocardiograms during the test. The individual will see their heart rate altered to such an extent that they will eventually lose consciousness, just as in a fainting fit. This way, the detailed results of the test let the professional set pharmacological treatment to prevent the patient from suffering any more fainting. ...

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Source: All information contained on this page as well as office hours available, are provided directly by the doctor who has the ability to update them at all times in order to keep the information as accurate as possible.
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